After the Ball
by Ivy Kendall
Summary: Sharon attended Nicole Flynn's wedding with Andy. When she returned home, Rusty couldn't wait to hear all about her evening. The next morning, it was Provenza's turn to hear Andy's story. (Dedicated to slm38, who has been less then subtle asking when I would share my version of events. Thanks for the prod.)
1. Sharon's Version

"You're humming that song again," Rusty said, leaning over the counter into the kitchen as he watched Sharon pour herself a glass of wine. "You didn't drink enough at the reception?" he asked, concern lacing his voice.

Sharon looked at him with a twinkle in her eye. "You needn't be concerned. I am able to pace myself."

Rusty sat up a little straighter, "Sorry, I didn't mean anything."

"Aw Honey, it's okay. I'm just having one glass and then I'm going to head to bed. I'm just not ready to turn in yet.

"That good?" Rusty asked, relaxing again.

"That good!" she assured him, and walked over to the sofa. Putting her feet up on the coffee table, Sharon sunk further into the sofa and sighed.

"So how was it?"

"It was lovely. Andy's daughter is so much like him, I'd know her anywhere. And her new husband seems to be a master at handling family dynamics. He'll need to in that family."

"What's the matter with them?"

"Mmm? Oh, nothing really. It just that Andy's ex-wife choose someone completely opposite Andy for her second husband, and she succeeded." Sharon took a sip of her wine, and lowered her head to the sofa again.

"What does that mean?" Rusty was confused. He knew there was a double meaning to Sharon's tone, but he didn't understand why.

"Mmm..." she thought for a second, "I don't know... just, picture everything you know about Lt. Flynn, and imagine the exact opposite. It's hard to explain."

"I guess he's probably fat, bald, judges everyone else and pretends like he has all the answers?"

Sharon choked on her wine, then started to laugh, "That's not nice."

"But I'm right, aren't I."

"I would never say that out loud. He does not like Andy at all, and I understand why it was so hard for Andy to share the aisle with the man. When it came time to give the bride away, the two of them spoke their blessing, and I could see the red rising on Andy's collar. He was having such a hard time. I took pictures of the three of them and he was trying so hard to keep his temper. At least Nicole had the sense at the last minute to put her arm in Andy's before they started walking."

"Isn't she supposed to do that?"

"Mmm, not when there's two. It's my understanding that she was to walk between them carrying her bouquet, but at the last minute she changed her mind. The smile of acknowledgement on Andy's face was wonderful to watch," Sharon smiled again, taking another sip.

"Did you get pictures?"

"Yes, I did. I'll have to look on my phone tomorrow, but I think I captured his surprise at the gesture and how pleased he was."

"You know... maybe Buzz can do something and like... remove that other guy from the picture. Then it would must be Andy and his daughter. I think he'd like that."

Sharon nodded as her smile grew, "You know, I think he'd love that. I'll ask Buzz to do that on Monday, as long as we don't have another case.

Nodding in satisfaction, Rusty sat back on the sofa as well, putting his feet up beside Sharon's. Together they sat in silence, until another thought struck him.

"Hey Sharon?"

"Mmm?"

"Didn't Andy pay, like... fifty thousand for that wedding or something?"

"Thirty, I think. It was a lot, I remember."

"Yeah, okay thirty thousand. So didn't that give him some perks or something?"

"Perks?"

"Yeah, like... if he was paying, didn't he get a say in things?"

Sharon sighed, "No... it was Nicole's wedding and Nicole's choices."

"That bites."

"No... not really. You see Rusty, no matter how much Andy and Russell, that was her step-father, no matter how much they dislike each other, they both really love Nicole, and that was evident. She didn't exclude Andy, she just wanted to include Russell, and unfortunately Andy had to accept that Russell was important to her as well."

"Yeah, I get that, but why the hate then? If they both love Nicole, why can't they get along?"

"Mmm, I asked Andy that. He told me Russell and his ex-wife liked to pretend that Andy wasn't part of the picture when the kids were younger, and it took Andy years to develop a relationship with his kids. He missed out on a lot of their childhood, and he's still hurt by that."

"Why?"

"This is really Andy's story to tell, if he wants to. It's not my place."

"Come on Sharon, don't be like that. Just tell me. Everyone else seems to know."

"Everyone else has worked with him for years, and they are all adults," she said, glancing at him. Seeing the deflated look on his face, she relented. "Okay, but remember this is Andy's story, and my version is not necessarily his version."

"Okay... yeah... fine... I get that. I just want to understand this better. I don't get parents like my mom or Jack who come up with every excuse to avoid being with their kids, when there's people like Andy who want to be involved and someone stops them. I just don't get that."

Sharon reached over and squeezed his hand. "I don't either," she said quietly, then took another drink.

"Okay, let's forget about that. Andy was there, he had to just accept that the other guy was there too, so then what happened?"

"Well, after they gave Nicole away, they stepped into the pew with Sylvia and myself."

"Sylvia? That's like, the ex? And you were in the same seats? That must have been awkward."

Sharon giggled, "You have no idea. There was Russell, trying to look like the proud patriarch, and Sylvia dabbing her eyes. Then I was there, a stranger to everyone, and Andy. He was fidgeting so much I thought he was going to explode. I had to put my hand on top of his just to get him to calm down."

"So let me get this straight, the fat bald dude was trying to look important, the ex was a mess, and there you were in your usual way holding Andy's hand the whole time?" Rusty smiled, "did you get pictures of that?"

"Hardly," Sharon snorted. "I was there to support Andy and give whatever he needed from me. If he needed to squeeze my hand to get through it, then so be it. And what do you mean 'my usual way'? What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on," Rusty rolled his eyes, "I saw you when you got home and you still looked like you walked out of a magazine. You always have this... this perfection about you. You stand straight in those fancy shoes, and your clothes are always expensive, and you're hair is still up. I bet they were wondering if Andy hired you to be his date, or something."

Sharon coughed and snorted, then started to giggle, "They did! Oh my god, they were so funny. When I arrived, the usher escorted me into the seat and Sylvia immediately looked me over and said I was in the wrong place. I assured her I was not, so she called the usher over and told him to remove me. The young man turned all shades of red when he had to explain that I was with Andy. Then Andy had to come down to the front and tell Sylvia that I was his date for the wedding." Sharon kept laughing, her voice pitching higher with ever part of the story. "Finally... finally Sylvia hissed at him and asked how much I was by the hour."

"No... so what did you do?" Rusty asked, really enjoying the tale.

"It was Andy..." Sharon snorted again, "He said 'more than you could afford'."

Rusty just looked at her, not sure what to say.

"Oh honey," Sharon said as she patted his hand, "it was funny. Don't take it too seriously. After spending an evening with those people, I totally understand why he gets so sarcastic sometimes."

"Yeah, but didn't she have a fit or something?"

"No... she didn't get the chance. After I rolled my eyes, Andy leaned in and told Sylvia I carried a gun and a badge, and I knew how to use them, so play nice. That was the end of that. Honey, I'm used to people hating me. I was there for Andy, not myself. It was fine."

Rusty shrugged, "I guess. Okay, so the four of you are in the seats, they were probably being stiff, and you and Andy were holding hands."

"Rusty, it wasn't like that."

"You said you were holding his hand, that's what you said."

"Yes.. but only because he needed me as a buffer."

"Right, whatever. So Nicole chooses Flynn in the end, and then he's got you as his date, holding his hand and probably smiling with him."

"Rusty," Sharon warned, "don't make this more than it was."

"Hey, I'm just painting a picture in my own mind. I wasn't there.

"Fine," Sharon acknowledged, taking another large drink of wine.

"Then what?"

"Then we enjoyed the wedding. I think Andy wasn't prepared for how emotional the whole experience would be. He squeezed my hand a few times during the ceremony. I think he realized he came too close to missing everything. Then they played the Wedding March, and the new couple walked back down the aisle. Russell and Sylvia moved out first, then Andy and I walked out, then the groom's parents. Nicole had arranged for horse-drawn carriages to take them, the wedding party and the parents to do pictures. It was lovely, but it was clear to see where Andy's money went."

"So who'd you travel with?"

"There were four carriages. One for the bride and groom, one for the bridal party, one for the groom's family..."

"And one for the bride's?" Rusty asked. "That must have been a fun ride."

"It was fine. Really. Andy and I talked a little, and enjoyed the drive over. I actually felt bad for Russell and Sylvia. They couldn't enjoy anything because they were so angry about Andy and I being there. When we got to the park, I finally met Nicole and they did their wedding pictures."

"Where you in them?" Rusty asked innocently.

Sharon didn't answer right away, but took another sip. "I tried not to be. I didn't think it was my place, but Nicole said I was there with her father, which made me part of the family. It was okay. I did have to agree that her argument about symmetry was sound."

"Symmetry?"

"Mmm-hmm... Andy would have stood out as a third wheel in the pictures with Russell and Sylvia. At least me being there made it look more... balanced. There are a few of just Andy and Nicole with her new husband. I know he will love those the most. She really is a lovely young woman forced to navigate between quarreling parents. That can't be easy for her. I pointed that out to Andy a few times, and he agreed. He really did a good job of putting his daughter first."

"So, were you like... stuck with those people the entire time?"

"You mean at the reception?"

"Yeah, was it just the four of you?"

"No... thank heavens. No, they did something I thought quite smart. Instead of worrying about how to place everyone at the head table, they had only the bridal party at the head table, then the front two tables were for the parents and the siblings. Andy and I sat with Sylvia and Russell, and with Michael's parents, Anna and Dave. Michael was the groom. The other table was for all the siblings. So Andy's son and Michael's two sisters with their dates."

"So what were the other parents like?"

"Anna and Dave? Quite lovely, actually. Andy and Dave spent most of the time sharing stories about their children and work. Dave owns a security company, so there are always a lot of things to talk over with the LAPD. And Anna is a skier, so we had a very pleasant conversation about various hills we've skied. She was telling me more about Nicole, and I must say, that young woman is a master at making everyone feel welcome. Between Anna and Dave, and Nicole making sure I had everything I needed, it thoroughly enjoyed myself."

"I bet that didn't make old Russell and Sylvia happy."

"Rusty... don't judge."

"Sorry..."

"That's okay. I know the temptation is there. I was there for Andy, and that's all that mattered."

"Okay, so isn't there supposed to be a father daughter dance or something? How did that work out?"

"Mmm..." Sharon nodded, as she put her glass down again. "Another stroke of brilliance. Nicole insisted in dancing with all her fathers, she said. So not only did she dance with Andy and Russell, but she also danced with Dave. I thought that was a very nice touch, and it certainly took away some of the tension."

"She's not a lawyer or something, is she?" Rusty turned up his nose at the thought.

"No, but I did suggest she might want to join the diplomatic service. She is certainly gifted in that area. She ordered them according to when they entered her life, so Andy had the first dance with his daughter. It didn't even matter that Russell was standing, waiting at that point."

"Did he get all, you know... crying and everything like some guys do?"

"Oh yes... Andy has the temper of a lion and the heart of a lamb. He was every bit the proud father and he said to me a few times he was glad he got some common sense and didn't screw it up. It was nice."

"And then what?"

"Not much else, really. We danced a lot and chatted with other guests. It's a shame that Sylvia and her family has never forgiven Andy for his mistakes, because that wore on him a great deal. His son still seems a little wary, unfortunately, but Nicole did what she could to keep everyone happy. After awhile, Andy just told her not to worry about him, and to spend time focused on enjoying herself. We were having a great time with Dave and Anna, and Andy got to know Michael's family better. I think they were arranging dinner when the kids returned from their honeymoon."

"That's cool. You invited?"

"Why should I be invited? Andy is the one they have to get to know, not me."

Rusty shrugged defensively, "Just asking. You seemed to like them, that's all."

"Mmm, I did. I do... Actually Anna and I are getting together for lunch next week."

"Nice," Rusty nodded, a smirk gracing his lips. "So what kind of a dancer is Flynn anyway?"

"A very good one. Okay..." she started, standing up and leaning backwards to stretch her back, "time for bed. It's really late and I need some sleep. And you, sir, need to be in bed as well."

"Sharon..."

"No," the finger came up and she meant business, "it's way after midnight and it's time to shut things down. I've told you all there is to tell, and now it's time to go to bed."

Rusty grumbled, "Fine," then moved towards his room. Sharon turned off the lights, rinsed her glass and made sure the front door was locked properly.

A few minutes later Rusty came out to get a drink of water, and slowed down as he passed Sharon's bedroom door. He couldn't help smiling to himself as he heard her humming that song again. Clearly, she hadn't told him everything.


	2. Andy's Version

"You're home," Provenza said, barging through the door and heading for the kitchen.

Andy stood in his boxers and t-shirt, hair mussed in every direction, not quite awake enough to see the ball of energy who was his partner. It took him a few moments to collect his senses and close the front door. "What the hell are you doing here at this time of day?" he demanded as he marched towards the kitchen.

"I figured you wouldn't have breakfast yet."

"Breakfast? Listen old man, I didn't even get to sleep until five hours ago. I was planning on sleeping in. What the hell is this?"

"It's morning."

"Yeah, the morning after the night of my daughter's wedding. Didn't you think I might be here sleeping?"

"I thought about it," Provenza shrugged, banging through pots and pans until he found the skillet he was looking for.

Andy sat down at the counter and grabbed the large cup of coffee Provenza brought with him. "You needed to think longer."

"You can sleep when you're dead. I want to hear all about it."

"All about what?"

"Your date. The wedding. All of it. Spill."

"It wasn't a date. She's married, remember?"

"We'd all like to forget. Fine, call it what you want, just tell me how did it go? What did Sylvia do when you showed up with the Captain on your arm?"

Andy started to chuckle, which caused Provenza to join him, "That good?"

Rubbing his face, Andy laughed, "She thought Sharon was a high priced call girl."

"What?" Provenza choked on his coffee, making Andy laugh even harder.

"Yup, she took exception to the fact that Sharon was seated in the front pews and called the usher to remove her. Then she asked me what I was paying for Sharon's services."

"That bitch!"

"You can say that again."

"So what did you say?"

"I told her she couldn't afford Sharon if she tried."

Provenza kept chuckling, "I bet that went over well."

Andy shrugged, "Eh... it got the point across."

"And what was our esteemed leader's response?"

"Ah, you know her, she rolled her eyes and turned her head to pretend she wasn't laughing. But she couldn't hide that smirk. She had to bite the inside of her mouth pretty hard, I'm guessing. Sylvie was just about to blow a gasket until I told her Sharon had a gun and knew how to use it."

"You said what?" Provenza's jaw dropped open.

"Yup," Andy took a sip of his coffee and smiled at the memory. "You should have seen Sharon's face after that. I don't think she'll ever say it out loud, but she was glad I fought for her honour. She just rolled her lips like she does, and her eyes started to twinkle. I went back to be with Nicole after that, but from what Sharon told me, Sylvia didn't say another word."

"Good thing. Our Captain wouldn't have hesitated to put her in her place otherwise."

"Nah... she's not like that. To tell you the truth, she was the perfect date, or buffer, or whatever she wants to call it. I was just really glad to have her."

"Sounds like a good time."

"You know, it really was. Nicole was all over me about who the gorgeous brunette was in the lavender dress. She seemed to approve. She called me 'Daddy' for the first time in a lot of years, and gave me a big hug. I can't believe I almost missed that just for my ego."

"She set you up, you know."

"She who?"

"The Captain, she forced you to get your head on straight and go."

"You're crazy, she didn't force anything."

"Wanna bet."

"I went to her office. I asked her, remember?"

"You sure about that?"

"I..." Andy had to think for a moment. Didn't he ask her?

"Uh-huh," Provenza nodded, turning back to the now-heated skilled to crack the eggs.

"Nah," Andy waved him off.

"She said she was getting you to that wedding, she even asked me to take Rusty for burgers."

"She said you volunteered."

"Volun-told, my friend, volun-told. She kept you with her all day yesterday so you could see how much that father was hurting, and so you would regret not being there. She knew with the right touch she'd get you to change your mind."

"Huh..." Andy had to think about it.

"Forget it. So what happened after you got the Captain settled in the front seat?"

Andy leaned back a little in his chair and smiled, "It was nice. Nick told Russell she wanted both of us walking her down the aisle, but when the march started, she put her arm on mine. My girl knows her real dad. Anyway, I just ignored the bastard and walked. She squeezed my arm to her a little, and smiled at me a few times, but then she was all about her new husband. I gotta tell you, I choked up when I had to let her go so she could stand with Michael. The asshole had to try to make it about him, so he cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. I could of decked him then and there, but I couldn't do that to Sharon."

"Sharon? You mean Nicole, don't you?"

"Yeah...well... both. Nicole would have been hurt, but Sharon made that effort to be around strangers just to support me. I couldn't let her down. Anyway, when the priest asked who gave her away, I pretended it was only me, and I answered. Old Russell had to be louder, but I leaned over and kissed her forehead when I said my peace. Nick smiled at me, so I know she got the message. I don't care who her mother marries, he's never going to be her father."

"See that you remember that. I take it you just went quietly after that, or am I just being foolish."

"I didn't make a scene, if that's what you're thinking. Not much of one, anyway," Andy smiled into his coffee.

"Okay, Flynn, what did you do?"

"Me? I just rubbed Sylvie's face in the fact that my date was a million times better looking than hers."

"I've seen Russell, that wouldn't have been hard. Details... I want the details."

Andy chuckled. "Details. Well first I gotta tell you that the Captain is game, she's really game. She played her part like we'd been _friends_ for a long time. I was getting a little fidgety, so she put her hand on mine, and leaned into me a little more. I put my arm around her and she slid right in beside me. Then she did that hum thing of hers, and Sylvia had to turn to see what was going on. Even old Russell couldn't take his eyes off of Sharon's legs."

Provenza was chuckling as he flipped the eggs and put the soya bacon on to heat. "I guess it's safe to say the Captain shares our opinion of darling Sylvia."

"Yeah, I'd say so. She even pulled my hand closer to her and squeezed it a few times. It wasn't all for show, though. Nah... she knew this was harder on me than I thought it would be. I asked her later and she said she was imagining what I was going through and thinking about her own kids. She was great. She was the right amount of support and the right amount of sticking it to my ex."

"That's always a fun time. So did Sylvia say anything more to the Captain afterwards?"

"Nah, she was obviously pretty pissed that we rode in the carriage with them out to get pictures and they didn't like it when Nick insisted Sharon be in them, too."

"The Captain was in Nicole's wedding pictures?" Provenza put the spatula down and stared at Andy. "How'd that happen."

Andy smiled to himself and took another drink of his coffee, remembering the afternoon before. "My daughter... I don't know where Nick comes from some times. She's certainly a lot smarter about people than her old man. Sharon was wanting to stay back and wait for the reception, but Nick made sure she came with us to get our pictures. She pulled Sharon aside and the next thing I know, Sharon was agreeing to everything."

"What did she say?"

"They wouldn't tell me, neither of them, so I asked Michael later. He told me that Nick knew Sharon was the reason I was there looking relaxed and happy, and she wanted to capture her dad looking like that, and that was only going to happen with Sharon in the pictures. She told Sharon she wasn't taking no for an answer, and you know the Captain, she's not going to say no if it matters so much. The pictures should be good too. The colour of Sharon's dress was the exact colour of some of the flowers Nick held, so it's like they planned it."

"That's nice."

"Yeah, it was. Sharon insisted we get some of just me and the kids, so there are a lot more pictures with me in than old Russell."

"I take it there's some with only the three of you and some with Sharon too?"

"Yeah... and she's in the parents picture."

"Interesting. Speaking of parents, what do you think of Michael's father and mother?"

Andy crossed his arms. "Nick did good, I gotta say. It's the first time meeting them and it was like we knew them forever."

"We?"

"Yeah, Michael's mom, Anna, and Sharon spent the evening talking about the places they had travelled and the skiing they did. Designers they liked. I shouldn't have enjoyed it that much, but I really got a kick out of the fact that Sharon and Anna kept talking and Sylvia couldn't keep up. They tried to bring her into the conversation, but Syl just wouldn't budge. The two of them sat like bumps on a log, so the rest of us just enjoyed ourselves."

"Nice. So what does his father do?"

"Dave? You know DVP Security?"

"Yeah, there's one of the better ones out there."

"That's his."

"Really?"

"Yuh, we talked about business a little, then we listened to Sharon and Anna talking about resorts for a bit. I tell you, she's one travelled woman."

"Sharon?"

"Yeah. They were even laughing about ski instructors. The two of them are getting together for lunch next week."

"Well, that's a surprise. I guess your high-priced call girl knows her way around elite circles."

Andy chuckled, "You can say that again."

"I'm glad to hear you had such a great time. And Nicole was happy? Everything go okay?"

"Yeah, she was really happy. And I gotta say, she impressed the hell out of me. The father-daughter dance was something I was dreading, but when it came time to do it, Nick announced to the crowd that she was blessed with lots of parents in her life, and she was going to dance with all of her fathers in the order she met them. Then she came over and held her hand out to me. I gotta tell you, it was just like watching the nurse put her in my arms the first time. I held my baby girl close and it was just the two of us, just like the first night she arrived. We were both crying when we were done. Then she danced with the asshole for a bit, and he was pretty pompous about the whole deal. But the thing that really got me, is she turned away from him and finished the dance with Michael's dad. No matter how you cut it, I started that dance and Dave finished it. The guy in the middle didn't count for nothing."

Provenza nodded thoughtfully, "You've got a great girl there, Flynn."

"Do I ever. I got back to the table, and Sharon gave me a small hug. She got it. She knew what that meant to me. She was totally bowled over when Michael did the same thing."

"Same thing?"

"Yeah, he danced with Anna first, then Syl, and then he came to get Sharon. She protested but Anna told her to go. Those two kids made Sharon feel like she was there for real, ya know, not just some decoration."

"That was nice. She wasn't expecting that. I have it on good authority that the Captain was attending to give you support, and that's it. She wanted to stay out of the way the rest of the time."

"Yeah, well the kids were having none of that. Nick had her brother and Michael had his oldest sister give the speeches, so that was no problem. And then the dance, and that was it."

While Flynn spoke, Provenza had served the food and was half finished his plate. Andy had yet to begin. "So did she dance?"

"Who? Sharon?"

"Of course _Sharon_. Did she dance?"

"Did she dance...? You know how you said her daughter studied ballet?"

"Yeah..."

"Yeah, well she got her talent from her mother, is all I'm saying. Sharon can Mambo, Waltz, Foxtrot, Jitterbug and Tango."

"Tango?" Provenza's eyebrows went into his hairline as he asked the question.

"Tango! The older guys in the room were lining up to get a chance. She hardly sat down all night. Even the younger guys couldn't keep up. I'm going to be lighting candles for Arthur Murray for the rest of my life, I can tell you that. I haven't danced, I mean really proper dancing, for more years than I can count. And Sharon was looking like all she ever did was dance. She complained about being rusty, but I gotta tell you, there was nothing rusty. She owned that dance floor. Nick asked her if she would teach her how to do that. Sharon was pretty flattered."

Provenza shook his head and chuckled, "Will wonders never cease? I wouldn't have imagined that in a million years."

"Me neither, but I was there. I was dreading the whole wedding something awful, but between Sharon and Nicole, it was one of the best nights of my life. And you know the best part, Sylvie and Russell made themselves miserable being jealous of Sharon, so we had the kids all to ourselves. They didn't dance, they didn't mingle, then didn't do nothing."

"Well, sounds like it was perfect," Provenza nodded, satisfied that his friend had such a great time. "I'm going to clear this up and you go get dressed. I want to get some good seats before the game starts."

"You still want to go to the game?" Andy looked incredulous.

"You're joking, right?"

"Fine... fine..." Andy got up from his seat and was back in twenty minutes, showered and dressed for the day. He grabbed a ball cap on the way out and locked the door behind them.

"Hey Flynn, what's that you're humming?"

"Humming? Nothing..."


End file.
